I live in a 100-unit condo in Cambridge, MA. My upstairs neighbor’s air conditioner leaked, causing water damage to my unit. Who is responsible and who files an insurance claim?

Mister Condo replies:

A.B., I am sorry you took damage from a neighbor’s air conditioner. Your own insurance is your first line of defense. Your insurance should cover any interior damage to your unit, less your deductible. Your neighbor may also have insurance that would come into play if your insurer goes after him/her for the damage caused. There are also times when the association insurance can come into play but this doesn’t sound like one of those times. File your own claim with your own insurance and get your damage repaired. Good luck!

Condo association has accepted responsibility to fix a pipe in a carport roof that freezes in low temperatures. It paid an engineer to recommend a fix. However, it has failed for 2 years to initiate a repair and will not give me the engineer’s report. My attorney has demanded action but has received no response. What can I do?

Mister Condo replies:

K.W., I think you are already doing all you can do. You have hired an attorney who will look out for your best interest in this matter. Since the association has acknowledged ownership of the problem, there really isn’t too much else you can do. Any idea what the delay is? Is it an expensive repair? My guess is they are just going to wrap the pipe in insulation and try not to make it too unsightly. Unless there is more to this story, I am not sure why it is taking them two years to handle this simple matter. Keep on top of your attorney and the Board to make sure the project gets done. Other than that, follow your attorney’s advice. Good luck!

The unit below our condo reported a ceiling leak to the HOA maintenance. The maintenance personnel looked at the leak, performed a moisture test, then asked to go into our unit. He identified our kitchen faucet as leaking and told us to fix it. We replaced the leaking faucet. The HOA then sent us a $90 bill for his “investigation services”. Are we responsible for his service?

Mister Condo replies:

J.B., most likely, yes. Your unit was found liable. It is not uncommon for the association to pass along expenses they incur that are attributable to a particular unit. On the upside, $90 isn’t very much money compared to the thousands of dollars that such a leak could have caused. I would pay the $90 and be thankful the leak didn’t cause more damage. Good luck!

Our 2-level condo was flooded last week for the second time in 17 months by a bank-owned unit above ours. The first time the above unit was unfinished and not winterized; a pipe burst, flooded us below and we were out 47 days for repair. This time the bank owner’s subcontractor broke a sprinkler head, resulting in more damage than last time. What is our legal status with owner and with subcontractor? Settlement? Lawsuit? Other remedies? It will be repaired but we will be out an indefinite time.

Mister Condo replies:

D.B., I am so sorry for the double whammy you have experienced. I can’t even imagine the heartache and inconvenience these back-to-back disasters have caused you. Unfortunately, the nature of having units stacked on top of each other creates the possibility for exactly the types of problems you have experienced. The good news is that insurance covers most of the loss. The bad news is that lawsuits are typically only used for your “out-of-pocket” expense. They rarely cover paying you back for your inconvenience and time. I don’t think I see the basis for a lawsuit or settlement based on what you have shared with me. However, I am not an attorney so I offer no legal advice in this column. If you think you are entitled to damages above and beyond what has been offered, you should seek the advice of a local attorney who can best guide you. I wish you dryness and a comfortable living space moving forward. Good luck!

I live in a 100+ unit condominium development in California. My question is whether the current board is under any obligation to correct mistakes made by a past board? Specifically, a past board denied my request to do work clearly in the common area as defined in our CC & R’s. That area is the attic above our unit where there was significant rat infestation. The board authorized the pest control company that we have on annual contract to close out all the openings allowing the rats into the attic and to remove all dead rats and rat traps. The board refused to remove the fouled attic insulation, clean the attic and replace the insulation. The local county Vector Control District recommended the clean-up and insulation replacement to protect us and our downstairs neighbor (there is a fresh air make-up duct to her unit from our attic) from possible contamination of virus, etc.. Our general contractor (we were having a lot of remodeling done including plumbing, electric and HVAC all of which required workers in the attic space) refused to begin the remodeling until the attic was properly cleaned to protect his workers. After finding out much more about the past boards’ and current boards’ position on repairing damage in units (they have been paying to restore, repair, replace damaged items from water leaks even if those items are in the “unit” and not contained in the common area, an act specifically against rules in our CC & R’s) I resubmitted a request reimbursement for the cost to clean out the attic and replace the insulation which I had done at my cost after the past board had denied the request to pay for the work. The current board is waffling on whether to reimburse me or not fearing that they should not open a can of worms and reverse a previous board. Doesn’t the fact that we are a California corporation require the current board to correct a past board’s mistake when that mistake is brought to their attention? Doesn’t the corporate responsibility to act in accordance with the CC & R’s continue regardless of which board is in place? Thank you.

Mister Condo replies:

J.S., I am sorry for all of your problems. Rat infestations and the resulting potential for hazardous conditions is no laughing matter and the failure of the previous boards to take corrective action is appalling. However, the sins of the father are not necessarily vested upon the son in the form of the current Board. You should have sued the association for not taking the proper action back when the infestation and resulting damage was going on. You were not authorized by the Board to pay for the attic cleaning and insulation replacement. In fact, since you do not own that space, you really shouldn’t have done that. That being said, I would have done the same thing under those conditions rather than risk my own health due to an incompetent Board. So where does that leave you now? Obviously, the good news is that you have remediated the damage and are living in a healthy environment. You have asked the Board to reimburse you for the work and while I agree with you that they should, they are correct in that it sets a dangerous precedent of having unit owners handle repairs that the Board is responsible for and then obligating the Board to reimburse the unit owner for the work. Quite simply, that is not how things work in a condo. When common elements are damaged, the association needs to make the repair, putting them in control of hiring the contractor, negotiating terms, etc. You usurped that process when you took care of the problem on your own. Had a previous Board authorized your action, then it would be as simple as you submitting your receipts for reimbursement. Instead of asking permission, you now need to beg forgiveness. The Board is under no obligation that I am aware of to pay you back so ask politely. If the dollar amount is large enough, you might wish to speak to an attorney to see if it is worth pursuing. Otherwise, see what the Board does, hope for the best, and be happy that you have a rodent and disease-free living space. All the best!

I live in a condo in Miami and we have the most incompetent Board. The building is self-managed and we currently are under a lot of problems, like roach infestation, water leaks, building trash chute compartment broken and trash coming out of the compartment. The building runs more like an AirBnB. The rental ratio is at 61% and we have no support since there’s so many investors. Please advise, I have approached the Florida Department but they don’t intervene in situations like this.

Mister Condo replies:

S.M., it sounds like your association has really gotten away from what unit owners like you were expecting. Whether the Board is incompetent or not, without rental caps (the percentage of units allowed to be rented at any given time), I am not surprised to hear of so many rental units being used in AirBnB fashion. First things first. The Association is governed by volunteer leaders elected by the membership. If these leaders aren’t making sure that the problems are being addressed (water leaks, roaches, broken trash chutes) then it is time to elect new leaders. You may be able to bring suit against the association for not maintaining itself but that can be costly and still not yield any real results. If it were me, I would consider running for the Board myself on a platform of restoring the association to good working order. If that seems unreasonable, I would consider selling. It seems there is no shortage of investors looking to purchase into this association. I would look carefully at the next association I purchased into. Hopefully, the percentage of investment units would be far lower and the Board would do a better job of maintaining the common elements. Good luck!

I just purchased a unit that was a short sale. It had visible dog urine damage. The board was aware of this unit’s condition. After removing the carpeting and padding there is wet sub floor and wet framing from the dog urine. I am replacing the sub floor and some insulation as the dog urine seeped through the abutting sub floor and caused damage to some of the insulation as well. I received a note from one of the board members saying I need their permission to do any work in my unit. I read my bylaws and I own the subfloor. Why would I need permission to replace the sub floor or even update my kitchen cabinets? Does the board really have this much control over my home? What about my quiet enjoyment? What does CIOA have to say about this situation? Thank you for your anticipated response.

Mister Condo replies:

K.R., I am sorry for all of your problems. I hope you have been able to fully remediate the issue and get your unit in a livable condition. As to your interaction with the Board regarding repair and restitution work, I have a few thoughts to share. The ownership of the subfloor is not in question; it’s yours. Most associations require unit owners to inform them of any modifications to their units (including restoration) and for good reason. For starters, you may have contractors coming on to the property. These folks need to be licensed and insured and you may need to provide proof of same to the association. Second, depending on the nature of the repairs and/or upgrades, the Board has to make sure you aren’t working on any supporting walls or structures. Finally, if the association’s insurance policy is “all in” coverage, any upgrades you made need to be reported to the insurance company so they are covered. CIOA doesn’t come in to play with any of these issues as far as I know. Living in a community association means playing by the rules. My guess is once you have finished this project, you won’t have anything further to report or ask permission of the Board. All the best!

I serve on the board and had my property vandalized who’s responsible, me or the Condo?

Mister Condo replies:

M.N., I am sorry you had your property vandalized. Regardless of your position on the Board, if a crime has been committed against your own personal property, it would typically be your responsibility to repair it and, hopefully, your insurance would cover the damage. If association property were damaged, then it is the association’s responsibility to repair the damage. Whatever the damage, I hope you contacted the police. Vandalism is a crime. The Board isn’t the Police Department. The Board governs and enforces the covenants of the association; the local police handle criminal matters. Good luck!

S.B., unless your documents specify who owns the foundation, that could be a point of contention between the unit owner and the association. Typically, the foundation is owned by the association, but not always, so check your documents and see if it is listed as an association asset. The next question is going to be what caused the leak and how should it be remedied. Sump pumps are common solutions and then, of course, comes the question of who install, owns, maintains, and pays for the cost of operating the sump pump. Get ready for some pushback from the Board as they generally do not like to obligate the association to a new expense but if it is the problem is their responsibility, so is the solution. Good luck!

Today I received an email from our property manager company stating that I was going to be assessed fees for repairs to the siding on our building. Attached was a picture of my 19-year-old son standing outside with a lacrosse stick. The claim was that my son had damaged the siding. My son did not damage the siding and the claim is completely unwarranted.

Two years ago, we had storm damage to many of our units and the old property management sent out notices to co-owners that repairs were being made. At this time, our board decided to change management companies and the repairs to our unit were never made.

I was able to obtain the original incomplete work order from the old company as proof that my son did not damage the siding. My concern is will they be able to charge me for this and what is the best way to handle the inappropriateness of a board member taking pictures and claiming something that is not true.

Mister Condo replies:

S.J., I am sorry you find yourself having to do battle with your Board. Any unit owner, including a Board member, is allowed to make a claim of damage against another unit owner. They can even take photos when warranted. The Board is then charged with informing the unit owner (you) and offering you a chance to address the Board to present your defense, denial, or acceptance of the claim against you. Clearly, you are denying the claim and you have your own evidence to support your denial. After you make your counterclaim, the Board is free to do as it sees fit within the bounds of your governing documents. Can they deny your rebuttal and claim your son caused the damage? Yes. Can you then sue them for their actions? Yes, again. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that and that cooler heads prevail. It seems only logical that since your building’s storm damage was never repaired that these repairs need to be made. The claim against your son is scurrilous at best but may be taken seriously be the Board. You may wish to speak to an attorney if they proceed to charge the repairs to you and you will likely prevail from what you have shared with me here. If there is a pattern of harassment from this one particular Board member that took the photo, you might just want to sue them as well. That should get their attention so they can focus on the more important job of repairing the storm damage to the building and not look to saddle individual homeowners with their responsibility. All the best!

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Friendly Answers to your Condo Questions

Mister Condo is here to give friendly advice and promote awareness of how to make the most of your condominium living experience. “Ask Mister Condo” is the friendly place to ask questions about all things condo. Mister Condo knows a lot of the answers but when he doesn’t, he isn’t afraid to ask a local expert for help in answering your questions. Mister Condo is not an attorney and offers no legal advice in this column. He is a very well-mannered condominium dweller with many years of practical experience living in several of Connecticut’s fine condominium communities. He asks that you be well-mannered as well so we can all enjoy the advice presented in this column. Please note that questions are answered on a "first come, first served" basis and that there may be a delay before your question and answer appear. Thank you for your patience.